The Falkvard Herald

Issue 6th of Sulime, Year 115

Court Report
By: Avyanna Turner

Scribe Scias Chilikov ran today’s court. The weather is cold, but dry and sunny, making a nice change of pace over yesterday’s constant rain. There weren’t all too many attendees, but the courtroom was also by no means empty. Important topics of Court:

Winter is coming to an end, with the void attack expected sometime at the end of this new month, or at some point next month. Weather is expected to begin warming back up.

The Kingdom is scouting the best places and areas that can be controlled against the Void incursion, with cannons deployed and classes taught. For all those participating, the Army is moving to secure all zones against outside attacks. Allies have also been informed, though the exact spaces that are best suited haven’t yet been fully decided. Once they are, everyone else will also be informed in case anyone wishes to scout the terrain beforehand.

The number of petty crimes has increased, and defeatism and fearmongering is on the rise. Do not fall to the unnecessary panic of proclamations of end-times – the world has been through threats of similar or greater magnitude, and thanks to the hard work of our champions the incoming void attack is expected to be of lower threat than it originally may have been.

As notices written across the cities mentioned, Brak Bellow has been dishonourably discharged from the Knight Order. He meant the best, but he was not suited for the Order’s honourable ranks. Scribe Scias reminded us that Mr Bellow is not evil and that he does not deserve further harassment, but that he did not display behaviour befitting of a knight and allowed paranoia to drive his words and actions.

For blacksmiths, the Kingdom is going to be releasing materials for those who write in. If you are one, contact Scribe Scias Chilikov directly voicing your interest.

The Dwarven Clans met to discuss the future of the Mountain and their duties as given by the Gods. They have made decisions regarding the responsibilities of the various clans, and we hope that the next issue of the Herald may cover that in greater detail as we will be in contact with Tuvaili Longhammer.

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Extra: Fighting the Void
By: Avyanna Turner

We now know that the Void will be tearing open reality itself to enter our realm. Many brave defenders are stepping forward to protect us in this, and last week Lady Ardor O’Connell – freshly returned from the Void herself – gave a lesson alongside her husband Lord Taggart O’Connell at the People’s Palace in combating Void incursions. In this article we will go over what you need to do in case you shall ever have the misfortune of facing this ferocious foe.

Strengths

1. Unlike most opponents faced by the denizens of Hareveth, Void does not have a set form. It can often mimic things from reality, such as creatures, people, items, morphed combinations, and even voices and sounds. The longer it can observe you, the more perfect the mimicry can be.
The Void, unlike magic, doesn’t require direct sight to be aware of your presence. Even some mundane or magical obstruction to its sight-line may not impact its ability to know of your presence.
2. Given time, the Void is capable of consuming almost everything. Its eternal darkness can even swallow up weapons and items, or surroundings.
3. Unless an elemental magic can be imbued with voidal properties, it is unlikely to be anything more than neutral to entities of the Void.

Weaknesses

1. Void material is always going to be the best against Void creatures, as one may expect, coming from the same realm as them. This includes Solid Darkness and Dark Tendrils.
2. Direct holy magic, silver, and gildian are also effective against it, though not to the same degree. Holy water won’t work, but alchemies like Starlight have done their job in th past.
3. Spectral, holy, and dark magics can also be used to sometimes block their “vision.”

Tactics

1. Your best approach is to hit Voidal creatures hard and fast, to make sure they don’t get the opportunity to learn about you.
2. Their shapes may match the environment they’re in, such as taking the appearance of stags and wolves in the woods, or humanoid soldiers near old battlefields. Don’t rely on this always being the case, however.
3. Be prepared to adapt, as the Void will learn from you as the fight goes along. They won’t necessarily be able to catch everything that you do.

We want to thank Lords O’Connell for their lesson and hope that this article can help in all your Anti-Voidal needs.

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Feature of the Month: Fighter’s Flagon Fireproofing Fixes!
By: Avyanna Turner

While some of the scars that we endured in the Cultist attack on Falkvard last year sadly persist, in the last few weeks one of them was healed over. The Fighter’s Flagon, the premiere pub by the Falkvard Square owned by Ms Clementine Drakkenban sustained damage to its chimney during the attack, making the structure unstable. With the aid of an Earth Mage it was repaired using stone, though this, as noticed by the Kingdom’s Firewatch Lord Alewaer of House Alwaran, had the potential of presenting its own problems.

His lordship was most concerned with the type of stone used, especially worried that it may come from riverbeds, though in general being distrustful of the use of stone over sturdy, purpose-made bricks. Per Lord Alewaer of House Alwaran, Firewatch:

“Stones are capable of drinking in water as you or I are. Not all stones, but river stones, who stay submerged, drink heartily. Now, if I have a fireplace of river stones aggravated and motivated by the flames, with no route for them to escape… <they explode.>”

Thankfully, the Flagon’s stone was not of such variety, and there was little threat of this occurring over the short term, but Ms Drakkenban still promised that the fix would come swiftly with the aid of the Golden Gazelle construction company, and we can happily report that the chimney has now been repaired to the standard of safety we need for Falkvard! This, however, brings up new questions that we wanted answered, and we sat down with the Firewatch to get some of his insights, not just on this but the work done by his office in general.

Lord Alewaer has been in his position for just shy of twenty years. He’s currently the city’s sole Firewatch, but he doesn’t feel that more are necessary as it’s a “critical role, but not actively so.” He would welcome more workers to help with vigilance, but the lord also reminds us that the fire safety of our kingdom is the job of everyone!

When asked what we can all do to ensure the continued safety of our cities, here is what he had to say:

“There is plenty that can be done. It is winter time, which of course means chill-air and near-constant fires in homes across the land. First and foremost is to be mindful of what and where you burn things. Firepits, fireplaces with little in the way of stray branches and grasses, fallen leaves, and so on. These areas are the safest. If one has a fire in their home, keeping cloth and other material away from the fireplace is important. But a fire can begin even from something small, <like a> lit stick to ignite a pipe, a forgotten candle. Never go to sleep with one of those left burning. Your home fireplace should be fine, so long as you keep it well sealed, but even then, better to let it burn down to coals and throw in a single log to get you through the night.”

In his parting words, his lordship reminds us that fire safety isn’t just something that’s a concern in the cities. Small villages, traveling caravans, campsites and any and all lit fireplaces should be considered. So if you see smoke where it shouldn’t be coming from, if you hear shouts, make sure to alert the guard!

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About the Author:
I’m Avyanna Turner, the new editor at the Herald! I’ve been an aspiring writer for many years, and I hope I can provide you with the latest news. If you have any questions, anecdotes or personal stories you’d like to include, feel free to write! We can also feature your business in the Herald, I’m always just a letter away!

Issue 6th of Viresse, Year 115

Court Report
By: Avyanna Turner

Today’s Court was run by Lord Glaedwin Remartiu. The weather has been warming over the past few days, and with the winter doors removed the torchlight and the large fireplaces kept the room warm whilst the occasional gust of wind made gave the room fresh air. As would be expected after big events, the room was quite packed!

The past week saw a massive series of events, which were a culmination of many years and events that led to a number of smaller Voidal incursions caused by old choices made long ago. It was a cycle of seals that would lead to more and more Void issues over time, but also sustain things as they were. It had risks, as well as a lot of history, and the Mystics chose to end that cycle and help firm put he barriers of the Void. This was an important choice, as we have seen those boundaries splinter, crack, and fall after the Hell gates of the Cult were opened up after the Pact War, to the point that Perities and Uldir used those tears to push their servants into the world. Void would creep in through those same gaps, and any opportunity that we can take to slam the doors shut is an important one. After the people of Saphriel managed to put a stop to the painting situation some months back, and closed a possible future gate, we were afforded time to prepare for opening our own gates, under our own circumstances, which prevented less controlled tears to the Void. With the heavy use of materiel and the employment of the Royal Army, we fought back the Void and reduced their appearances, though small casualties were still sustained.

The cage of souls crashed into the desert some distance out, and was handled while the two gates the Kingdom opened were at the Pine Valley lake and at the rear of Itiris. The owner of the Divine Trinket of Telekinesis was encountered, but through teamwork and quick thinking was turned back. Pine Valley fought back against many unusual creatures, such as memories of the old disaster that happened there, including nightmarish mockeries of the natural order harkening back to Caldwell’s sin in that space. The Kingdom extends their thanks to those who volunteered to fight, and hopes that we may expect more peaceful times, with old foes being cast away in a new year.

Exclusively from Lady Ardor O’Connell, one of the brave mystics who fought went into the Void and fought last week, we have these words:

“Everything is all right for now. There are a few injured, but the cage fell, the Void hit, and we defeated it.”

When asked if the Cult managed to gain anything from the Voidal rifts, Lord Glaedwin couldn’t provide a full answer, but mentioned that no Cultist activity was detected near the Void gates and the Kingdom did all it could to minimise the risks.

The next question was about the university, and whether the Void rifts affected its semesters, but the answer was that things will continue as normal.

With that, this month’s Court Report is complete!

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Feature of the Month: Dwarven Clans Decide on Work Division
By: Avyanna Turner

In the last Court session it was proclaimed that the Dwarves of Thonduhm, under the continued leadership of Tuvaili Longhammer came to some agreements regarding the future division of their clans’ and castes’ responsibilities, pending the blessing of the Queen. We visited Thonduhm to talk to Tuvaili Longhammer in person so that our readers may learn more about this unique system of governance and what the future holds for our Dwarven friends and our shared Kingdom as a whole.

Before the interview started, however, I wanted to walk through the halls of Thonduhm and see the city with my own – highly untrained! – eyes. There is a quaint village at the top, nestled inside of a valley overlooking the docks and main entrance into he mountain, and which hosts most of the agricultural activities of the city.

The main gateway into the mountain itself is guarded by four monolithic statues, two of dwarves wielding swords and two more wielding axes. Passing through these guardians and into the halls, one is struck by the beauty and workmanship of Dwarven shapers, for whom the new and the old got to meet as works to redecorate the city’s halls are ongoing.

The halls themselves are spectacular, easily as wide as the streets of Falkvard, but with the weight of an entire mountain balanced carefully over them. The Dwarves do not shine from golds, lapis, and other precious materials to adorn their caverns with, making for a dizzying array of warm hues inside of the volcano. At its centre stands the massive, great hall, whose centrepiece is the Shrine of Kinos and whose awe-inspiring size and beauty would be difficult to describe in mere words. It connects parts of the city by bridges and stairs (many, many stairs!), and is worth visiting all on its own, especially if you worship Kinos.

Our interview took place in the old Throne Room, where Dwarvish kings and lords once resided. An elongated hall, at least three times the size of the Falkvard courtroom, dripping with opulence of the past. Here I sat down with Tuvaili to talk about the Dwarven caste system and the future of the Dwarvish side of our Kingdom.

A = Avyanna, the Interviewer
T = Tuvaili, the Interviewee

A: “Thank you very much for agreeing to this interview, Tuvaili. While some of our readers may be aware of the Dwarven culture and history, and some are likely to be Dwarves themselves, I wanted to start off by asking about the different clans and the caste system. It seems like a unique way to construct your lives, could you go into a bit more detail as to what it is, and how the castes are separated?”

T: “You might think it’s unique, but we’ve really just given word to whatever everyone else already does. My people say I talk too much, so if I get wordy just stop me. So there are five castes of Dwarves, all with different names. The Makers, Shapers, Delvers, Warriors, and Crowns. You’ll hear the Dwarves use all kinds of different names. Sometimes the Makers are called Coins or Golds, and Delvers are sometimes called Miners, and some people split the two into separate castes. Like with any system, there’s nuance, right?”

A: “Wordy isn’t an issue in an interview, don’t worry! And could you explain what each <caste> does?”

T: “Absolutely, <though> it’s important to note that my family (not clan, but my family in particular), left Thonduhm when I was just barely an adult, so I’m a very atypical Dwarf and my experience isn’t universal, or normal. Let’s start with the Makers. Makers are often your Merchant class, as well as your craftsman class. makers are smiths, or tinkerers, or alchemists. Occasionally they’re also scholars. These families often overlapped with merchant families, so when you’ve got a family of smiths and golds, they get kind of folded together. So when you can get technical and say there’s actually SIX castes, which may be more correct, but how often does a craftsman in the modern age not also hawk his wares, right?”
T: “Next, the Delvers <or> Miners. That’s what they are. Thonduhm has a long history of carving passages and tunnels, freeing ore from stone. Someone has to literally delve the dark. Explore, identify areas of value, manage the mines, all of that is the Delvers’ job. It may sound simple, but anyone who knows anything about mining will tell you it’s as dangerous as it comes, especially here.”

T: “Next up, the Shapers. The Shapers are secretive, highly traditional, and perhaps the most skilled stonemasons to ever live. They keep to themselves, and with good reason, as it’s an art. Everything you’ve seen here was touched by a Shaper, made by them. Worked by one of their clans. And it’s all still here, stretching back for who knows how many generations.”
A: “So they carve out all the halls of Thonduhm? Kind of like builders?”

T: “I can’t really go into the specific differences, because I’m not a Shaper and don’t know all their secret techniques. Shapers have such an in-depth understanding of stonework that I’ve seen them bring down cavern roofs in safe, controlled ways before. And that’s just one example!”

A: “Fascinating. So it really is like an art. Who’s next?”

T: “Warriors, <who are> exactly what they sound like. Clans whose families had military careers. These days, everyone is a bit of a warrior, as that’s the world we inherited. I dream of a day down the line where kids can have that distinction again, but Thonduhm’s always been a place where the people have been heavily militarised and a culture of weaponry and martial skill was relevant to daily life.”

A: “So a bit like in Falkvard, most people have some sort of a weapon, but that doesn’t make them soldiers. So it’s similar in that regard, the Warrior caste are the professionals.”

T: “Correct and correct, though right now I think most people living here in Thonduhm have some form of militia or military experience.”

A: “Such are the necessities of war. And the last were Crowns?”

T: “Crowns were, and are, the old ruling families of Thonduhm. Usually prominent families of each Caste that cycled out of who was in charge of the Mountain. You’d have one ruler from a Clan for a generation, then anther. They all knew each other, and would not quietly take it in turns, but sort of pass hand-to-hand as time went on. Think less pure nobility by birthright, as the Kingdom does it, but by esteem, prestige, and sway. They co-operated to make things happen, talked, held meetings.”

A: “So essentially like the Royal Council, but they selected the monarch from their ranks?”

T: “Not terribly familiar with the Royal Council. I know about the People’s Council if that’s what you mean* , but yeah, they’d pick a ruler from one of the Crown Clans. And you know, if you were a real badass or smartass or just a real important Dwarf, you could elevate your family into being a Crown through great work.”

A: “Do you think that’s the fate of the Longhammers with all of your accomplishments?”

T: “The Queen will decide who rules Thonduhm. Times have changed, that much is clear. If Clan Longhammer are to become Crowns… I don’t really know. I used to joke about being in charge when I was young, but in my heart my goal was always to give my people back the life and home we were meant to have. And I want to be clear, my achievements were never purely mine alone. Every effort of the Dwarven people has been built on the efforts of so many working together towards the same goal.”

A: “Beautiful words to live by. So let’s switch topics now, on to the meeting itself. At Court it was announced that the Dwarves had a big meeting about the future. Could you tell me a bit more about that?”

T: “Absolutely! For a long while, I was trying to get Clans together to hand out some responsibilities. I can’t organise every little thing that goes on here, and whoever takes over will need dependable, knowledgeable people to help them make choices. I managed to wrangle a bunch of them and assign oversight to parts of the Mountain to each Clan. So now, while everyone still reports to me, things can move forward without me needing direct oversight. I’m still in charge, but these are people for me to put my trust in.”

A: “Are there any notable clans and responsibilities you think that the readers may want to know about? I imagine not all Dwarves attended the meeting, so even for them it might be a good source of information.”

T: “We’re gonna give it a little time to be sure eacch clan gets established before we open the flootgates for people to go inquiring with each clan. I know people want to know about the Mithril, and things like that have been in the works for a while and need to be handled carefully. The Movement distributed information within its ranks, and I encourage anyone of Dwarven blood who wants to be more involved to please join up.”

A: “Excellent! Is there anything else you think would be worth covering?”

T: “While I encourage anyone who’d like to visit Thonduhm to do so, I have to remind Goblins that they should not come to the island, <as> the ghosts will kill anything they take onus with. And, of course, for those who visit, be vigilant. It’s still a pretty remote place and pretty dangerous. The mines are off-limits to anyone not in the Movement. Never travel alone on the island!”

A: “Thank you for this. And as parting words, any phrase you’d like to share in Dwarvish? You can write them in Dwarven and I’ll write them phonetically.”

<Common> For the Mountain!
<Dwarven>: For the Mountain!
<Phonetic spelling in Common underneath>

*Writer’s note: Yes, that is what I meant!

Issue 6th of Lotesse, Year 115

Court Report
By: Avyanna Turner

Today’s Court greets us with an overcast of late spring. Though the air is pleasantly warm, it’s quite humid as the rains of spring still haven’t totally left us. Summer is around the corner! Court is held by Scribe Scias Chilikov. The hall was quite empty! Court notes:

A chance of a spring storm remains even though it’s quite late in the season. Be prepared to board up windows and shore up any flood defences!

Schools have been greatly successful, with literacy improving across the Kingdom, with high success and student turnover. If you’re one of those who recently learnt to read, the Herald welcomes you and the staff here hopes that you will love to read and write as much as we do.

The Guard and the Knight Order continue their patrols, with the Order currently on tour in the countryside.

Though peace has reigned since we vanquished the Void, always be mindful as Void remnants may remain. There have been no reports yet, it is the duty of every citizen of Saphriel to report anything of this sort.

Though not mentioned at Court, you may have noticed postings of a new duck island in the middle of Crescent Lake, just east of Falkvard. Make sure to consult the rules and signs posted about it before you venture out there, but if you go there you may be able to gather some ducks, feathers, and eggs!

There will be no special features in the Herald this month! We hope that we can provide you with some thrilling and wonderful stories from across the Kingdom and beyond soon. If you have anything you wish to share, please don’t hesitate to contact us!